An online store needs more than products and a payment button. Before launch, check the tax treatment with your adviser, show the information customers need before buying and test how paid orders move through stock, delivery and refunds.
Agree the tax rules before configuring the shop
Malta's standard VAT rate is 18%, but reduced rates and exemptions exist. That does not mean every product, customer or cross-border sale should use a single blanket setting. Ask an accountant to identify the correct treatment for your registration, products and sales territories.
Give the developer a written tax configuration brief and test examples. Specify how displayed prices, shipping, discounts and invoices should work. If you sell outside Malta, obtain advice on applicable cross-border rules rather than copying a domestic setting into every market. This article is not individual tax advice.
Make the product offer understandable
Provide accurate descriptions, variants, dimensions and availability. State delivery charges and limitations early enough to inform the purchase. Do not rely on a customer discovering an important restriction only after entering payment details. Use real product images with rights to publish them.
Keep product information consistent across the page, basket and confirmation. An unavailable variant should not appear purchasable because an old page was cached. Decide whether stock is reserved during payment and when abandoned reservations are released. The right behaviour depends on the products and transaction flow.
Review consumer information with a professional
Your customer journey needs the trader's identity and applicable purchasing information, including delivery, complaints and withdrawal/cancellation arrangements. EU distance-selling guidance explains important consumer duties and exceptions. The exact terms depend on what you sell and who buys it; a generic copied policy may misdescribe your business.
Check the order button, confirmation email and terms together. If the shop includes personalised goods, digital content or services, obtain advice on the relevant exceptions and consent requirements. Do not assume a notice saying no refunds removes mandatory consumer rights.
Verify payment and fulfilment together
Use provider-confirmed server-side results to move an order into a paid state. Test failed, cancelled and duplicated payment events as well as a normal purchase. Staff should know which records to consult when a customer says money was taken but the order is still pending.
Then follow the order through picking, packing, dispatch and tracking. Check the address, shipping method, internal reference and customer notification. Avoid sending unnecessary personal information to every connected system. A clear operational workflow usually prevents more confusion than adding another decorative checkout effect.
Rehearse refunds and recovery
An authorised staff member should be able to find an order, explain its status and complete the agreed refund process. Confirm how a partial refund affects accounting and stock. Test recoverable backups and decide who responds if the payment or shipping provider is unavailable.
Run the final acceptance test on mobile with representative products and delivery destinations. Keep a dated checklist showing who approved tax settings, legal information, payment handling and dispatch. Our guides to payment providers and MaltaPost shipping help you turn that checklist into a realistic technical scope.
Sources and review
Official references checked on 18 October 2026. Provider terms, funding calls and technical documentation can change; verify the applicable version before committing to a purchase or application.
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